Embedding care robots into society and practice: Socio-technical considerations

Abstract

Robots are not yet typical in daily use in elder care services, but recent studies suggest that they will soon be mainstream. In this study, we focus on the future of elder care, affected by the emergence of care robotics. We tackle the socio-technical transition—a multi-level change with a re-configuration of social and technological elements of the system—of elder care. The transition in the elder care system and the conditions of the embedding the robots in welfare services and society in three European countries, Germany, Sweden and Finland, are examined. Our qualitative study focuses on current situation in the use of robots in elder care as well as advancing and hindering elements in embedding robots into society and elder care practices. According to the results, there is a shift towards using robots in care, but remarkable inertia exists in both technological development and socio-institutional adaptation. Advancing and hindering elements in transition are both technical and social – and increasingly interrelated, which needs to be considered in management and policy measures to promote successful future transition pathways. The change of attitudes and embedding robots into society is promoted, for instance, by raising relevant knowledge on robots at different levels.